The First
by Falcon277
Summary: The races of Middle earth have been blind to the existence of the ones who came before for nearly three ages. When Halei Spine is tasked with scouting out Middle Earth, she has know idea what she is about to be dragged into. Partial 10th walker. Disclaimer: Everything Lord of the Rings is owned by J.R.R. Tolkien, OC's and Arquin owned by Falcon 277.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Before the races of men, dwarves, and elves came into being. Before Morgoth waged his war against the Valar. There was the first race. During the time between the creation of Arda and the rise of elves, Middle Earth was nothing but a large expanse of desert. None of the elvan historians would have ever believed that this place so devoid of attention from the Valar, could possibly harbour life. If they were to go back and unwind time they would see they not only did this arid continent harbour life, but it cultivated a civilisation.

A race of reptilian hominoids created vast cities that spiralled into the sky like diamonds on the horizon. Their methods in farming and crafting were far superior to anything the world had ever seen to date. They were a proud people who enjoyed sunbathing just as much as they enjoyed devolving their sophisticated society.

As their small empire grew, it gained the attention of the Valar, who were mystified by the appearance of this unexpected race. They offered this young race a chance to learn at the god's feet, but the reptiles declined.

The Valar were respectful of their answer and let the empire grow as they sewed the seeds for middle Earth around them. But one Valar was not content with this answer: Morgoth.

When Morgoth broke away from Valar and created his horde orcs from elves he captured, he waged war against the Valar.

The reptiles now known as the Arquin did not know of troubles beyond their desert boundaries. They were insolent of the danger that marched towards them.

The Arquin were taken by surprise when the first armies of orc laid waste to the west of their empire. They rallied as many troops as they could to defend the increasingly smaller realm. For 2 generations of man they fought the hordes of Morgoth with scale and teeth, but were eventually worn away by the numbers of enemies, like water on rock, over time the rock erodes.

In a final act of desperation the remaining Arquin fled deep into the desert that is now know the Northern waste. It was here that they buried themselves in underground temples and licked their wounds. Watching and waiting. Morgoth fell and still they waited.

Eventually the one ring was made by Sauron, then he was defeated, but still the Arquin waited, waiting for a time when an opportunity should present its self.

Far away in a green country, the folk are preparing for a party to remember.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1 – Arquin

Beneath the sands of the Northern Waste is a vast network of mines and cities that would put the dwarves to shame. Vast temples were hollowed out of rock. Illuminated by strange, bioluminescent vines that choked the smooth walls. At first glance it would have looked like a dead city, but on closer inspection one could almost see the shadows of people. It might not have been a dead city but it was a dead people. After losing everything the Arquin's culture had simply disappeared. Only those of the High caste followed the ways of the old time.

Deep in the caverns of the world, the high caste debated their future in Middle Earth.

**/\**

"We cannot hide any longer, we are already losing ourselves... I haven't seen daylight for almost three ages." shouted Aceaze of the clan of Longtail. He was wearing a black and red tunic with a hood that covered most of his lizard like face. A hole was made in the back to accommodate, as he name clearly states, his abnormally large tail, that swished back and forth involuntarily. He had green and black scales and glowing green eyes.

"No we must endure as we have always done." Retorted Lork of the clan of Spine. He wore a similar outfit as Hark, except his hood was pulled back revelling his face. If his face was to be compared to a human you could say they were similarly structured, where they differed was that he had no protruding ears instead he had holes in the side of his head, he had no nose but two slits, His eyes were much larger and glowed, he had a mouth full of sharp teeth and a forked tongue and then he had scales instead of skin.

"Endure? We sit on our scaly arses waiting for something to happen that wont, I say we act." Aceaze accursedly pointed his four fingered hand at Lork.

"Aye we act." A person shouted from the onlooking crowd of High castes.

"YES!"

A chorus of "YES'S" echoed throughout the hall.

Lork rubbed his scaly brow in frustration. "It would seem... that I have been voted against. Very well, we will act" he concurred. "But we must learn of this new world: culture, races, cities, maps, news, before we can even think about all of us leaving the solitude and safety of the depth... we must send a scout. One scout."

Aceaze nodded, "you are right, to step blindly into this new world would be folly... if I may... I think I know who we could send."

"Who?" Lork asked suspiciously.

"Your daughter." Aceaze deadpanned.

A venomous hiss erupted from Lork. His daughter was Halei of clan Spine, she was a part of the armed forces of the Arquin. A small but ruthlessly efficient force, it was always considered to be peculiar that one of the high caste would stoop to such a level. Halei was after all a peculiar girl, she was also one of the most deadliest soldiers in the armed forces.

Murmurs of agreement whispered throughout the crowd.

"You can't be serious." Lork shouted at the murmuring assembly.

"She is the best, if anyone can get this 'scouting' over and done with, it is her" said Aceaze stated in a monotone voice.

Lork looked around his fellow high castes hoping someone would support him. It was not so. "FINE..." he hissed. "I will inform her of YOUR decision." And with that he stalked out of the chamber fuming, which is hard to do if you're cold blooded.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 – Halei Spine

Halei cocked her pistol, a sort of weapon developed by the Arquin in the second age, which fired a round metal bullet from a metal pipe; it had a wooden handle and a small belt of ammunition that feed into the weapon from a small metal pouch on the side of the pistol. It was no larger than a small dagger, length wise.

She aimed it at a dummy at the far side of the hall that took the form of an orc. She lined her shot up carefully and skilfully but most importantly very quickly.

A crack erupted throughout the hall, the dummies head was blown apart by the metal projectile shot from the pistol.

Halei raised her eyebrows and gave a smile of satisfaction that revealed her sharp teeth at the sight of the destroyed dummy. Quickly snapping out of the moment she rapidly reloaded the pistol and levelled it to another dummy across the hall and fired, all in one fluid motion.

The dummies head flung back from the impact. She repeated this until all the dummies in the room were either headless or chest less, whichever way, if they were living, they weren't now.

Someone started clapping from the doorway behind Halei, she turned to face her father Lork Spine, one of the most influential Lizards in the entire city. "Father" she bowed, "You wish to see me?" she asked, nervously. Being one of the most influential lizards meant that he usually only seeked out people himself, instead of summoning them to him, if it was a matter of great importance. Not even his daughter was a priority on his 'list', well that was what she thought anyway.

"Yes I did wish to see you Halei." He stated then cleared his throat. "As you probably know the high caste, including yourself, were summoned to the central chamber to meet."

"Yes I know, I simply refused to heed it since... well I was in the middle of practice." She indicated at the mess of dummies and rubble around the room.

Lork let out a throaty laugh, "Yes... I can see that."

"So... what do you need me for?" Halei asked.

Lork shifted his weight, "You... better sit down."

Now Halei was really nervous, what could her father possibly want? She sat herself down on the cold hard floor, her tail swish nervously.

"You see..." Lork resumed. "The council was deciding whether or not we should return to the world, they agreed that we should..."

Halei's breath caught in her mouth in shock, "This is good news then... Isn't it?"

Lork sighed deeply, "Not entirely. The council have elected one person to scout out this new land and learn the cultures and people of the middle earth... They elected... you."

Halei's father probably expected her to be sad, she was anything but, "YESS" She joyfully hissed as she fist pumped the air. She would be finally able to escape from this prison that was her home.

Halei's father stared at her with his luminescent eyes. His bowed back legs shuddered. "You...You're happy about this?" he asked with clear anger and hurt in his voice.

"Yes" she stated as if it were obvious.

"Why? Why would you want to put yourself in danger? What if Morgoth wasn't overthrown, we never did find out, he could have covered the land above in a second darkness."

"So what if he did. Being stuck down here is to be in darkness, I am used to it." Halei replied angrily. "Any way it's what I have been trained for."

"But it is not who are." Retorted Lork

An angry snarl came from Halei, her eyes narrowed. "Who are YOU to know who I am" she screamed at him, getting up onto her feet she stared into her father's eyes.

"I am you father, that's who" Lork screamed back in her face.

"You may be my father, but that doesn't mean you know me." Halei screeched, she then pushed past her father and strode out of the room at a fast pace, leaving her stunned father staring after her.

Lork just stared, never before had his daughter been so defensive. Perhaps she was right perhaps she was different to him. He looked around the room again at the practice dummies, perfect shoots in each one... defiantly not like him.

**/\**

Five night cycles past, during this time Halei was briefed on her mission by Aceaze: Scout out the land and learn the culture of the races, while being undetected.

It was now time for her to leave. She stood at the Gate, the Gate that had separated her kind from the world long ago and the Gate that had not been opened in 2 and half ages.

Halei wore a green shirt and brown trousers, a large belt around her slim waist which housed her weapons, two pistols, a scale dagger and a scale sword. On her back she had a rifle, a long distance weapon in similar design to the pistols except it was considerably longer and had a strange device attached to the top that allowed one to see further than the naked eye. She also wore a mud green cloak with a hood and a bandanna that covered her entire face only leaving her glowing eyes.

Halei's father stood beside her, "I hope you know what you are doing child... Take care"

Halei looked at her father and smiled even though he couldn't see it, "Don't worry I will" she hugged her father goodbye.

"It is time." Aceaze interrupted the pair.

Halei let go of her father, and turned to the Gate. The Gate started moving eons of dust fell from the gigantic structure as it was lowed into the earth below it.

A light crept through the gap starting to appear at the top, it wasn't like the vines and fires of the city, it was a soft yellow light that reflected of the thousands of different dust particle like they glass mirrors.

Halei had only heard stories of it; she never thought she would see it... The sun.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3 – A Faraway Green Country

"Pippin... Pippin..." A voice rang out throughout the lush, vibrant green woods. Rays of sun trickled through the vast canopies of leaves and branches. "Pippin... Pippin...where are you?" the voice called out once again.

"Pippin..." His name echoed in his subtly pointed ears, Merry was obviously looking for him_, 'let him look he will never find me up here,'_ he thought gleefully as he looked down from the thick barky branch he was perched on, to the flowered covered forest floor, some distance below him.

Hide and seek had become something of an unspoken past time between Merry and Pippin, after they did their 'hard day's' work in the shire they would always, without fail, play a game of hide and seek. Staying out of sight was after all, a speciality the hobbits are very good at... or so Gandalf... The 'disturber of the peace,' told to all that would listen.

Pippin swivelled his head from side to side, trying to see if Merry was coming his way. A twig snapped some distance off, but Pippins eyes were drawn to the direction of the disturbance. A merry full laugh erupted from just below him, causing Pippin to momentarily lose his balance in shock, "Pippin... why do you always persist, hiding up a tree?" Merry asked, looking up to his cousin carefully perched on a branch. "I like it up here."Pippin stated matter-of-factly as he crossed his arms and pretended that it was his intention to be caught. Merry raised an eyebrow at this act and shook his small head slightly. "Sure. I believe you." Merry mocked. Pippin scrunched up his face in feigned anger, he could never truly be angry with Merry, "How dare you accuse me of lying on such a matter... I greatly enjoy the view from up here."

"Well that's great for you I-enjoy-the-view-from-up-here , but view or not...you need to come down now, because the whole village is helping with the preparations for Bilbo's one hundred and eleventh birthday..."

Pippin merely gave a confused look towards his cousin.

"Us included" Merry continued.

"NO... absolutely not...It's not going to happen, I worked all day-"

"When have you worked all day?" Merry cut him off.

Pippin closed his mouth and put his hand to his head trying to sift through his, to be honest, quite hazy memory. "Last week... sometime!" Pippen stated proudly as he pointed his finger at Merry accusingly.

Another bout of merry full laughter filled the forest, "Well done...you must be so proud." Merry falsely applauded.

"With an attitude like that, I think I just might stay up here... any way what happened to our game, you were supposed to find me not call out my name to the whole of middle earth?"

"Well... I was counting just beneath the party tree... watching everyone else do work... as you do-"

"As YOU do!"

Merry waved his commentary off. "Anyway... I was asked by no other than Gandalf-"

"Wait Gandalf's here? Did he bring his fireworks?" Pippin excitedly stammered.

"Can you not interrupt... I was asked by Gandalf, who is here, said something about a wizard being never late... but anyhow, he asked me to fetch you because he apparently has an important task for us relating to the party."

"Will it be a fun task?"

Merry merely scoffed. "I wouldn't count on it... Now come on a get down from there."

"Fine." Pippin pouted as he leisurely made his way down the tree. His foot caught hold of a jutting out branch, testing it to see if it would hold his weight, he lowered himself down. He didn't know what happened, he heard a snap, and then he was falling through the air, arms flailing and all, he let out a surprised squeak as the ground rushed up to meet him in a blur of green and brown. Black...

His head was swimming in and out of consciousness, he was barely aware he was being dragged by some one... there was an occasional voice but it was to distant and distorted to make out, it sounded... distressed. His breath was shallow. Time seemed to hold no meaning for him; he was in a sphere of reality where the concept held no relevance. He was so... tired. "Pippin." a soft voice called to him from above, so far away, yet so close, it was ethereal in its sound. "Pippin." The voice repeated this time it sounded older and far wiser, but it still held that almost ethereal echo. _"lela at ana i kala." _The voice said in some strange language. His eyes quickly opened, a flood of candle light assaulted his eye. "Ahhhh..."Pippin unnecessarily squealed in pain, as he covered his eyes with his hands. "Get rid of the light... get rid of the light."

"Oh... stop your moaning, you are incredibly lucky to still even be here." The voice from before, scolded his antics. Pippin slowly lowered his hands from his face, revealing the figure slowly from waist up.

"Gandalf?" Pippin asked.

"Yes Mr. Took"

"What... What happened?"

"Meriadoc brought you to me, you were unconscious at the time, from what I gathered from Mr. Brandybucks hasty and barely intelligible story, you fell from a tree and hit your, if I may, your rather thick head."

"HAY..."

Gandalf simply laughed, his loose grey cloak bounced with his booming amusement. Eventually Pippin started chuckling from the contagious laughter. in time they both calmed down from their bout of amusement.

Pippin now looked around the room he was in pensively; something was missing. "Where is Merry?" he asked the grey wizard in front of him.

"I thought that might come up... He is asleep just outside the door, he has been waiting for you to regain consciousness." Gandalf answered.

Pippin made his way to get up, but was stopped by a large hand that pressed him back down into the soft alcove of sheets and pillows. "Rest Pippin... rest... I still haven't forgotten the task I need you to do for me... you need your strength." Gandalf smiled.

Pippin didn't argue, being ordered to rest was a dream come true, the work Gandalf mentioned wasn't as appealing but he would cross that bridge when it came to it. With that he fell into the blissful arms of sleep.

* * *

_**WOW I haven't posted for a long time which was mostly due to my year 10 exams. For that I am sorry, but school is important. Any way enough about me, how about this chapter... what do you think... is it good, is it bad... is it just plan hard to understand, please send a review tell me what you like, what you dont and how i could fix it... Thank you to all.**_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4 – Breaking into the Shire

Note – For this chapter and beyond, all dialogue that is in **bold** is Aquiliarn the native language of the Arquin. All writing in _Italics_ are 1st person thoughts.

In the far distance a cool haze of mist slowly circulated in the air currents, and rose into the air like a spectral city rising from within a barren land, from the lush green forest that spread out below the knoll Halei was watching from into the distant horizon.

A large predatory bird squawked overhead startling Halei, who instinctively took out her pistol and fired at the annoying noise. The bird fell from the sky in a ball of blood and feathers. "**Woops**!" Halei exclaimed in shock, she had no intention on killing that poor, annoying thing, no matter how bothersome it was to have the thing squawking above her like a signal to all living things around her, 'Here be Halei of Spine'.

Halei had now been venturing the above land for a week. Her eyes were now accustomed to the bright ball of light that would rise and set without fail per night cycle, the first time it had done so, she was terrified, thinking some dark force was still at work in the world, but her fears were quenched when the ball of fire rose into the sky again, after what seemed to be hours of perpetual darkness. She was now more than used to this strange phenomenon, but it still scared the scales of her.

Halei let out a sigh and looked down at the mangled corpse of the animal she had no name for. She knelt down beside the unfortunate, unmoving creature, which had been killed due to her natural reflexes. "**May your soul be devoured by the serpent and you find everlasting peace in her.**" She prayed and covered the bloody mess with a large leaf that she pulled from a dying tree. She then stood and continued her march south towards the forest and unknown land.

By the time she stopped to rest in the forest, that she reached when the sun was at its zenith, it was already night, she would have continued, but the nights here, in the above lands were cold and her body needed to be warm to function correctly. She climbed a tree with grace, her reptilian, four fingered hands, were more than appropriate climbing tools as she had found out. She reached a high branch that was encompassed by a canopy of leaves; then laid her back against the trunk and wrapped her tail around the branch to secure herself. It was no nest, but it would suffice... even if the bark was rough on her velvet green scales. She could feel sleep awaiting her, so Halei closed her two eyelids and let the senses that connected her to the world fade into nothingness.

Halei awoke to voices, foreign voices that spoke in a language that she could not comprehend.

"I am telling you that, strange sound came from this direction." A gruff voice reverberated through the unnaturally quite forest.

"What did it sound like?" another voice said in an almost questioning tone.

Halei peered below her through a sheet of leaves, beneath her were two strange looking creatures that looked somewhat like what the elves were told to have looked like, all knowledge of the outside world had been distorted by time as it were, except they did not have the pointed ears elves were supposed to have. If only she could understand them.

"It sounded like a clap of thunder." The shorter more scrawny, by Arquin standard, said. The other one who was taller, muscular and wore a green clock and hood, much like Halei's own, looked at the shorter one and gave a funny look. "I am serious Aragon!"

"You don't suppose it was thunder do you?" the taller one said

"There was no storm last night, unless I was drunk, I would remember such an event... I am a ranger after all Aragon... Am I not?"

"You are not are ranger. You are an armature... Come on, we have wandered to far from our path" the taller one laughed as he walked away from the shorter one, leaving him gawking on the spot.

"I swear I heard something last night" the thing screamed at his colleague.

"Sure you did." Said the other, yet its voice was distant now.

It was now that Halei slipped and fell from her watchful place, being too intrigued in the incomprehensible conversation between the two creatures. She fell through the branches, twigs snapping on her hard scales as she fell past and through them. As she broke away from the clutches of the tree and continued her journey to the ground, she used her tail to manoeuvre herself into an upright position, midair. She made contact with the ground; her curved back legs bent to absorb the impact.

"By the Valar... Aragon. Aragon..." A voice shrieked behind Halei. She turned around to see the shorter creature screaming his lungs out and fumbling with his... primitive sword.

"**Just try to strike me... I dare you." **Halei spat.

"The demon it talks... in some foreign language... Aragon come quickly."

"**Look... I am not going to hurt you." **Halei stated while opening her arms in a peaceful sign, within her people any way. Apparently such gestures are considered rude here, for the man stumbled back in fear before reaching behind his back and hurling a bright shiny object at her.

Halei felt numbness in her left arm. She looked at it and her anger peaked. A large knife was impaled through her. Her blue blood was dripping down her side. She looked at the... monster, before her with an anger that would have brought Morgoth cowering to his knees. She pulled out her pistol without hesitation, brought it in line with the monsters head just like in training. "**I did warn you didn't I.**" And fired. The thing fell backward... headless... Red blood pooling around it.

Halei looked down at what was left of the thing before her, well it wasn't an elf, and it wasn't a dwarf. Perhaps it was a type of elf. "What the hell was that sound... Othor?" the gruff voice of the other one called out questioningly, still some distance behind her.

Halei quickly clambered through the undergrowth, clutching her arm as she ran, trying to stop the flood of blood gushing down her body. Of all the places to hit her it had to be her arm, the lest scaled part of her body. Halei was dragged from her thought when a cry of anger and loss crashed through the woods. Obviously the other one had found its friend... well what was left of it.

Halei most defiantly didn't want to face off against the angered monster, especially in the state that she was in. So she ran south, further into the heart of the forest.

**VVV**

Aragon looked down at the headless body of his friend. What could have done such a thing? Whatever the thing did to him, it must have been painful. There was no sword slice anywhere. Valar! There wasn't even a head.

Aragon remembered the thunder clap, that occurred just before his friend ceased his screams. Whatever did this was heading into the shire. It was his job and the responsibility of all surviving Dúnedain, who were the Men who were descended from the Númenóreans who survived the fall of their island kingdom and came to Eriador, to make sure that such evil didn't enter or disturb the peaceful race of the shire. He would have to meet with his kin... let them now what happened. But before he did that he would pay his respects to the dead man in front of him.

Aragon knelt beside the corpse of his deceased fellow kin, and put his hand to the man's heart. He kept his tears locked behind metal bars. Emotion was one thing he was not renowned for, unless he was with Arwen.

"I am sorry friend, for I did not heed the wise council you gave unto me... I swear by the Valar, by Manwe, by Eru himself, I will avenge you Othor." Aragon swore to himself and the man beneath him. One tear trickled down his rugged face, falling onto the corpse he knelt over lamenting.

**VVV**

Halei's breath spiked and contorted as she wrenched the primitive blade from her sacred body. She bit down hard on the rag she had placed in her mouth, letting out a silent scream of pain. Her eyes darted back into her skull and she lost consciousness.

Halei awoke some time later according to the position of the sun. She looked at the wound on her arm which was now clotted with dry blue blood. She tried testing her arm out a bit. To be honest it didn't hurt that much, she was thankful that the blade had not hit the bone otherwise she would have been in a whole new world of trouble.

Halei continued to move her partially numb arm for some time, trying to get the blood flowing back into it. _Already a week away and I am injured_. Halei thought sullenly to herself. What would father say? _'You are not a fighter', 'this isn't what I wanted for you', 'you deserve to be happy'. I am happy. _Halei chased her thoughts away with a sigh. This was going to be long adventure she feared. She reached into her hide knapsack, made from one of the numerous creatures found in the deep, and pulled out some dried meat. She chewed on the tough stuff for a while before finally spitting it out, it was hardly edible, she would have to hunt soon, unless of course she wanted to starve.

Halei finally got up from the ground after what felt like an age, and started once more, her slow trudge south.

Night was nearing when Halei stumbled upon it, a vast clearing of grass hills and trees. It was quite extraordinary, well for her any way. She peered closer at the clearing and with a start realised that roads crisscrossed here and there, a large tent was erect in the pastures beneath the largest hill... that had round windows and doors encircling it. What on earth was this place? She crept even closer and realised that all the hills had similar carved out windows and doors. they were houses. Who lived here? The doors and houses were far too small for anyone of her stature, and from what she had been told of the little information the Arquin had regarding the outside world, most things were of her size.

Halei crept forward in the shadows, trying to see if she could find one of the strange inhabitants of this place. She was being as stealthy as a stalking Warg.

Halei finally saw them, they were so... small, cute... the little people were erecting some more tents in the pasture below the big house, who belonged to the leader of these folk she guessed. To her they looked like elves from the old stories, except shorter... considerably shorter. What were they?

Halei decided she would watch and learn about middle earth from this race, so she slunk back into the darkness and studied the little people below her, like the snake studies its prey before it strikes.

* * *

**I am not to sure about this one... but hey thats me... Please tell me what you think is it bad, good just doesnt make any sense... Oh and please tell me why this is the case. I really appreciate it... so much.**

**On another note I have a poll on my profile regarding to a important aspect of the story, if you would be kind enough to check it out that would be great.**

**Thank you to all. **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5 – Gandalf's Task

Pippin lay awake in his bed, his body still felt terribly sore and stiff from his tree experience yesterday, but he had to get up. There was only so long one could stay in bed for, without getting bored, which was a surprising ideal because... it was Pippin who was having these thoughts. The orange light of dawn shone through his fabric curtains in a fantastic display of rays that sparkled in the dust.

Pippin raised his torso, with some difficultly, so he was sitting up on his bed, the warm, soft sheets still strewn over him protectively. His eyelids were sore and heavy from staring at his ceiling for too long.

Pippin let out a long and deep yawn. Stretching his back and arms a little he got up from his bed, slow and steadily, as to insure he was somewhat recovered.

"Well looks who up..." said a voice in a rather sardonic tone. "Yesterday you looked like farmer maggot...on a good day, and now you can move like old gaffer, you must be improving."

"Well... I would like to see you fall from a tree Merry"

"You wouldn't, cause I will never climb one."

Pippin was about to retort to his annoying cousin and continue the childish banter but was rudely interrupted.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that Meriadoc." Gandalf said as he appeared in the awning, giving both the hobbits a jump.

"How does he do that?" Pippin asked to know one in particular.

"What do you mean 'I wouldn't be too sure of that'?" Merry asked, annoyed at the grey wizard, for both startling him and undermining him.

Gandalf gave a small laugh, "If my long memory recalls, I gave a job to you and you." Gandalf nodded his head at Merry and Pippin. "And due to Master Tree herder here, it was postponed."

"Yeah... well... you didn't even tell us what you wanted done." Protested Pippin.

"Don't interrupt... I was just getting to that part" Gandalf scolded. "I would like Merry and yourself to go down to the orchards and pick all the apples there."

"What!" Cried Merry.

"No!" Exclaimed Pippin.

"Yes." Gandalf laughed.

Merry and Pippin only looked on in horror. "You... You only want us out of your way while you unpack your fireworks." Pippin stated.

"That is the general idea." Gandalf smiled.

Pippin and Merry both crossed their arms in unity, "Well it not going to happen." They both said at the same time.

Gandalf rubbed his wrinkled forehead, still laughing slightly. "Always the same with you two... fine how about, of you do it I will pay you with the finest weed in the south farthing."

That got both the hobbits attention. Both their brows were furrowed in contemplation. After a long pause of silence a decision was reached, "Fine we'll do it." Pippin concluded loudly.

"Wait...What... No."Merry said. "Let's just think this through a bit more Pippin."

"No... I 'am sold."

Merry glared at his cousin, always thinking about food, mead or smocking he was.

Gandalf clapped his hands together. "Then it is settled, both of you shall go down to the orchard after your breakfast -"

"Second Breakfast" Pippin corrected, earning him a distasteful frown from Gandalf and a hum of chuckles form Merry.

"...After your _second_ breakfast and start picking the fruit, you will then return to me after you have completely filled ten baskets with all the apples you have picked." Both Pippin and Merry let out objectionable moans, but were quickly silenced by Gandalf's voice. "As a suggestion, you should harvest at different ends of the orchard, you two working together never seems to work." Gandalf then leaned against his wooden staff.

Both Pippin and Merry took this as a queue to leave, they started walking past Gandalf, out the door, to get there first breakfast. Pippin stoped and turned around, " You know we will get you back"

"Of that I have no doubt." Gandalf laughed, "But you best be prepared for the consequences."

Pippin merely scowled and walked off to join his cousin for a breakfast of bacon and eggs, leaving the wizard to his own devices.

Pippin and Merry were fairly depressed at the thought of doing even if they were being paid. They slowly ate their breakfasts, trying to waste as much time as they could. The pair was eventfully hurried alleged by a string of threats from Gandalf, which involved being turned into something unnatural.

The cousins finally finished their second breakfast, at about 12 o 'cloak, after dawdling for about two hours. They made their way down to the orchards, the small arms full of baskets. Pippin was complaining how unfair it all was.

"How could it be unfair... you are the one that agreed to this." Merry accused his ranting cousin.

"I didn't agree on this...this is slave labour."

Merry nodded in mock agreement while rolling his eyes notably.

The two continued to tease each other as they made their way down the spiralling cobbled road, fenced by large rock wall, with green fields as far as the hobbits eyes could see on either side. The road eventually forked into numerous directions. After taking the left most path they continued their laborious journey to the orchards, that could now just be seen, rising from behind a small green hill ahead of the two.

Pippin and Merry upon reaching the orchard set their, not so heavy, but heavy none the less, load, on the floor.

"Well, we best be started" Merry said as he proceeded to pick a low lying apple from a branch, placing it in a basket.

Pippin merely sat on the grass in the cool shadow of an orchard tree.

"What are you doing?"Merry asked, after he saw Pippin lying on the floor.

Pippin smiled and responded."Resting my feet."

Merry threw an apple in his direction after that witty remark.

"Owww..." Pippin squeaked. Merry turned away satisfied.

"Go to the other side of the orchard Pippin and start picking... the faster we do this the faster we can go back to doing nothing." Merry explained with his back turned to the hobbit on the floor rubbing his forehead where Merry's apple hit.

"Fine!" Pippin got up, picking up his baskets and waking off into the depth of the Orchard to the other side. Completely oblivious to the watchful reptilian eyes on him.

**VVV**

Halei watched as one of the small people she had been watching get up and walk into the trees, from her hiding spot. She had saw the two walking out of one of the small houses, bickering perhaps, their body language and the sounds that they made supported this observation. She had followed them curious as to what they were doing.

Halei got up to follow the one that left; he was more interesting than the other.

The small person led her through trees, for awhile. More than once he stopped to catch his breath, leading Halei to believe that he wasn't very fit. The small person eventually stopped on the boundary of the tree line placing his baskets down, after that he started to pick great big red balls off the trees, perhaps they were a type of food.

Halei continued to study the hobbit as he picked the red things off the tree one by one placing them into his baskets, slowly but surely he filled the bags.

**VVV**

Pippin put the last apple in the last basket with a heavy sigh of relief. He was finished. Finally. It had taken him the better part of the day to pick all those apples, soon it would be time to get ready for Bilbo's' birthday. His stomach growled in hunger, letting him know that he had missed a fair few meals that day, all because he wanted a bit of pipe weed. He looked up in thought and something caught his eye... A large, crimson apple, moisture dripping from it, air seemingly turning to ice crystals around it. It looked so... delicious.

The apple in question was at the highest point of the tree, just waiting to be plucked and eaten. Pippins mouth watered with anticipation, he wanted that apple. He started to climb the tree, up, up, up he went, clambering up the tree with a new found strength, eventually he was so high up from the ground it made him feel dizzy to look down.

He grasped hold of the last sturdy looking branch and hauled himself up onto it. The apple lay only a metre from him, hanging from a small twig. He reached out to take his prize, but it was further than he thought, he held on to a natural grip grooved into the trunk and reached out further, adamant that he wanted the apple. His fingers touched the cold smooth surface of his prize, but he couldn't get hold of it still. He stretched out his body to give him the final few centimetres that he needed to get hold of the apple.

Before Pippin could wrap his hand around the delicate fruit, he saw something move on the branch. A white looking ant. A termite, only now Pippin realised his terrible mistake. It was at this exact moment the branch he was on shuddered, creaking, and snapping. There was a horrifying split second of silence and anticipation. Pippin felt nothing beneath his feet as the branch broke away from the tree. He plummeted to earth, he was so high, he would not survive. Pippin accepted his fate the best way a Took could, he screamed as death rushed up to meet him.

**VVV**

Halei watched as the small person fell from the tree in slow motion. He screamed as he came crashing down to the earth. He was so small, he would not survive the impact, and if he did, he would be lamed for the rest of his life. Halei couldn't let that happen, the child like person was so innocent looking, but her father had said not to be seen by anyone, even Aceaze had been quite stressful on that point. Her eyes narrowed to slits when she thought of her father, he wanted it... not her, even now outside the protection of the ground, her father's wishes still haunted her. No! She didn't care what he said, what any of them said for that matter, she was her own person and she could choose her own path now, NO ONE CONTROLLED HER.

Halei jumped from her hiding spot running as fast as she could to the base of the tree as the small person made his way done, most unceremoniously in slow motion. She jumped into the air, lunging toward the falling child like person. She intercepted him as he was just about to hit the floor, turning on her back she shielded and absorbed most his impact. She let a sigh of relief she had been holding as the pair settled on the floor.

The small person shifted in her embrace. "What...What happened" it said with its strange tongue with obvious confusion laced in its voice.

"**It is alright now little one**" Halei reassured the thing, even though she knew it couldn't understand her.

The thing shrieked at the sound of her voice, jumping up from her and tripping over a root.

"**It is alright I won't hurt you..." **Halei try to reasoned, but thinking of her other encounter, "**If you don't hurt me."**

The thing just stared at her in frightful yet curious eyes.

Halei needed this thing to trust her, she undid her bandana and pulled down her hood, revelling her reptilian appearance. The small thing flinched in fright but soon calmed down after Halei made no move to actually hurt him.

"You...you... you saved me...what. What are you?" the small creature stuttered what sounded like a question.

"**I am sorry but I do not know your language**" Halei explained even though she knew full well that the thing in front of her had no idea what she was saying.

"I don't speak your language, sorry" the small thing offered as a response, clearly more calmed down, but still very unnerved. "Pippin" It finally said pointing to its self. Halei just gave him a curious stare. "Pippin" it said again, pointing to himself. It was trying to tell her it's name, Halei realised, whether it was the species name or its individual name she knew not, she would go for individual.

"Pi..piipien" she said, slowly, the foreign name was hard to pronounce with her forked tongue.

The small creature named Pippin...apparently, smiled.

"**Halei."** She said pointing to herself.

Pippin smiled widened, "Halei" the small thing said in confirmation, Her named sounded funny coming from a completely different species she thought.

Pippin gave a nervous smile"Thank you for saving me Halei."

* * *

**This has now been edited, it was full of mistakes. Thats what I get when I rush things... Anyway, please review, all criticism is a help to me, my writing and my story. **

**Thank you to all**

**P.S - I have a poll on my profile about the pairings of the story, I want to get a feel of what the audience wants...please check it out (otherwise I will have to pick... I don't want to play favourites).**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6 – Fireworks and Language barriers.

Merry had finished gathering his apples and had already given his load to Gandalf, who had finished unpacking his fireworks without the hindrance of Pippin and himself. Thinking of his cousin Merry realised that Pippin still hadn't come back yet from the orchard. "Damn Took, probably sleeping under the trees." He fumed to himself as he marched back to the orchard to give Pippin a piece of his mind.

**VVV**

"Thank you for saving me Halei." Pippin sincerely thanked the creature who had pulled him from the maws' of death. He was still utterly terrified of the appearance of the lizard; her mouth was lined with white, dagger like teeth, which interlocked with each other whenever she closed her jaws, only to be concealed completely by her scaly lips. Her luminescent crimson eyes, each as round and fiery as the sun, stared unblinkingly into his own. In a word she looked like a monster from Hobbit tales of old, that were designed to scare and control the lively children of the Shire. "What are you Halei... if that is your name?" he asked awkwardly, for he knew she could not understand him.

Halei stared into Pippins eyes, if only she could understand what the small hatchling like creature was saying. Was it thanks? What are you? I am going to tell everyone about you! She knew not, all that she knew was that he was talking in a completely different tongue than her own. She could see that Pippin was visibly frightened of her. She had to gain his trust if she was to gain anything out of this, peculiar, meeting.

Pippin watched as Halei bounded up the tree he had fallen from with unnatural grace, her clawed hands dug into the wood and dragged her up. She was climbing without the assistance of any branches; she merely went vertically up, like a spider on web. She reached out with one hand and grabbed something off the tree that was hidden behind her athletic body. She dropped to the floor elegantly from the top of the tree, she didn't even look fazed from it, she merely walked towards him.

Pippin unthinkingly took steps back as Halei came to him, fumbling with something in her hand. In two long strides she was in front of him. Kneeling onto one knee lowing herself to his stature, she outstretched her hand as if to offer something. He looked at what she was offering, and to his happy surprise she had, in her hand, the apple that he so wanted from before he fell. He looked back to Halei, her face now looking at his in a longing expression, well he thought that is what it looked like, but it was hard to tell, her being a lizard and all. She nudged the apple into his hand in a soft, gentle way, almost like his mother would, as if to say that she wanted him to have it. He took it from her and without more ado she stood up and slowly backed off to give him space.

Halei watched as Pippin quickly ate the apple with much mirth, he was happy, yet nervous, his eyes kept on darting from his apple to her. She realised she must look quite menacing if she stood over the poor thing, so she made her way to a nearby tree and sat at the base on top of a large root that jutted out of the earth. She then, not wanting to watch Pippin and make him more nervous, checked her gash. She rolled up her sleeve and to her shoulder and inspected the clotting broken skin; it had formed into an ugly looking wound, the contrast of the purple, black of the dried blood on her natural green scales was quite noticeable. She was lucky that it hadn't become infected...Yet. She didn't want to use her medicines just yet. Perhaps Pippin could help her; she would infer to him when he was done. So she licked the wound trying to clean as much as she could without medicine, it burned but she endured, waiting patiently for Pippin to finish.

Pippin ate the final part of the juicy fruit; it was the most delicious apple he had eaten in a long time. He would have to thank Halei... again. Speaking of the lizard where was she? Pippin looked to his left and saw her sitting beneath one of the trees licking her arm attentively. Pippin walked over to her and saw that she was licking, with her forked tongue, a rather brutish wound, probably done with a blade by the shape of it. "Are you ok?" what a stupid question of course she isn't, Pippin mentally slapped himself. He was grateful that she couldn't understand him. Halei looked up to him at the sound of his voice. Pain clearly etched on her face, yet she made no anguished cry of hurt. "umm... stay here." He said motioning her to stay put with his hands. When Halei made no attempt to get up he hurried off into the growth to get help for her.

Halei watched as Pippin ran off into the forest of green and red. Hopefully he had meant what she perceived him to mean, get help. "**Hopefully he doesn't bring help in the form of other people; just one is enough for now**." She contemplated out loud to herself, felling lonely in the woods.

Pippin ran down the cobblestone road that led to the Old gaffer's hobbit hole. His leathery soles slapping each individual stone with force. All a while many thoughts were racing through his head about Halei. What was she? Why was she hurt? Why did she save him? Has she killed someone? That last thought frightened him to the core like a chill wind. But she hadn't hurt him, she had saved him, Pippin reasoned with his worries.

Pippin fought his internal battle between reason and doubt as he ran, he did not notice a person pull into the path from the crossroads. He ploughed straight into the oncoming person, forcing them both to the ground.

"What... in the name of all that is green." Said an annoyed, Merry. As he picked himself up.

"Uhh Merry... hey... what are you doing?" Pippin tried to say as if nothing was out of the ordinary as he himself got up.

Merry just growled out Pippin.

"What did I do?"

"Where are your baskets, where are you apples, where is everything."

"Ummmmmmm..."

Merry put his palm through his curly brown hair in frustration.

"Well you best explain to Gandalf why you didn't do it."

" I did do it." Pippin defended.

"Oh really, well... where are the baskets?"

"I left them with her."

"You left them with whom?" Merry asked curiously.

Only now did Pippin realise his mistake. "I said... 'there' not 'her'... having a go at how I speak now." He weakly recovered from his slip of the tongue

"I was not, it just sounded like that you said 'her'" Merry rebutted. "Anyway why did you leave them 'there'" he said putting more emphasis on the 'there'.

"See... you are making fun of me." Pippin accused.

Merry giving up on the pointless augment and let out a sigh, "well at least give the apples to Gandalf."

"I will, after I see the old Gaffer."

"Why do you need to see the Gaffer?" Merry asked.

"I just do. Now please, I must go." Concluded Pippin as he continued to run down the road, leaving behind a rather confused Merry.

Pippin flew through the Old Gaffers gate, running straight up to the door, nearly colliding with it. He knocked, more forcefully than he should have. "Gaffer... Open up." The sound of shuffling feet behind the door could be clearly heard. "Gaffer please open the door... It's an emergency... I am not going to trick you today... I promise... That jar incident was completely unintentional by the way."

The door reluctantly creaked open, reviling a suspicious looking Gaffer, still in his pyjamas, bits of breakfast, or was it second breakfast, were caught in his small red beard. "To what do I owe the displeasure?"

"Awww... Come on, the jar wasn't even full." Pippin tried to reason Gaffer.

"Aye, but it is what it was half full of that bothers me... what do you want?"

"Do you know of anything to help heal a wound?"

Gaffers eyebrows arched in surprise, "why would you want to be knowing that? Is someone hurt?"

"Yes! Ummm... Ahhhh... In the orchard... someone fell on a rake." Pippin mumbled.

"Well you best get Gandalf for that, he is - "

"No!" Pippin interrupted, "I can handle it."

Gaffers eyebrow arched even more, to the point they looked as if they were about to snap clean in two. "Are you sure?"

"Yes... now tell me what to do? What do I need?"

"Well describe the injury."

"ahhh... the rake pierced her shoulder."

"Did she... or you... Pull out the rake?"

"Yes!"

Gaffer shook his head sorrowfully, "What could have possessed you to do that. Well you will need these." He said as he handed Pippin some cloth bandages that he pulled from a draw. "And due to your inability to treat wounds properly - "

"Hey!"

"You will also need this to wash the wound out of any rot... be warned it will burn." Gaffer handed him a small vile, with an opaque liquid lapping at the insides.

"Thanks gaffer." Pippin said as he went to leave.

"Ah...Ah...Ah... Ah... Wait. May I ask who has been hurt?"

Pippin gave a solemn look of discomfort, then smiled, "No one... thanks for the stuff Gaffer." He said as he ran away from the sparking, fuming Hobbit that was about to explode like one of Gandalf's fireworks.

**VVV**

The forest of fruit was eerily quiet, as Halei sat on her root and waited for Pippin to return, if he returned. The leaves rustled with each wanning and waxing of the cool breeze. Halei still continued to lap at her gash, the roughness of her tongue picking of parts of the dried blood, reopening the ugly wound in the process.

Halei could have easily used her own ointment in her knapsack to clean the wound, but she wanted to use it spare fully due to its rarity and special effects, it was made for wounds of a far greater extent than the one she now bore in pain. It was said to even be able to bring the recently deceased back to life, but that of course was just a rumour, whether it was true or not, was an entirely different matter, Halei believed the latter.

The rustling of the leaves being trampled brought Halei out of her musings; she quickly unrolled her sleeve and looked up in time to see a rather puffed Pippin holding some white cloths in his hand. He was alone, to her relief; she personally didn't want to be seen by more people, at least for now.

Pippin crept closer towards her, still slightly unnerved by her appearance. "I brought some bandages." Pippin said in his unknown tongue, as he got nearer. Halei submissively bowed her head trying to show Pippin that she would not hurt him. It worked because Pippin seemed to gain more confidence from the gesture, although he was still slightly uncomfortable, he quickened his unhurried pace.

Pippin put the hand with the bandages to his shoulder, trying to show Halei what he was going to do. Halei almost laughed, he thought of her as uncivilised, weren't her cloths testament enough to show that she was, she knew how a bandage work, and she didn't need him to explain it to her.

Pippin then showed her a vial with a opaque liquid inside. He repeated the same motion as before. Halei understood. She rolled up her sleeve until her wound was visible, the foreign air started to sting. Pippin made a disgusted look with his face at the sight of it, turning slightly green, to Halei's painful amusement, she had made her wound look tenfold worse than before.

Pippin uncorked the vial and dapped it onto his excess shirt, turning it a darking shade of brown from the dampness . he then applied the damp part of his shirt to her arm. A searing hot sensation stabbed at the cut, Halei felt that the inside of her arm was slowly but steadily melting away. She let out a harsh hiss, causing pippin to nearly jump up in fright. Pippin took it as the sign to stop.

The pain eventfully subsided to Halei's immense relief, Pippin moved to put the bandage on but was stopped by her, she didn't want to be completely reliant on him, and she snatched the bandages from Pippin and dressed her arm herself, to the annoyance of Pippin.

The white bandage was soon stained shady blue with her blood. It did however relieve some of the pain. "**Thank you for bringing this." **She told Pippin.

Pippin gave a confused look, as was to be expected. "We are really going to have to work on the language aren't we." He replied, to the confusion of Halei this time. "well... I have got to go now... Dont go anywhere... please" Pippin stated as he backed up a little. He pointed to himself and then pointed in the direction of Hobbiton. Halei was slightly confused about this gesture, but after a couple of rounds of charades she soon understood the basics of what Pippin was telling her.

**VVV**

The fantastic display of lights and colours exploded above the cheering and clapping crowd below, which only energized their cries of joy. There were hobbits dancing on tables, overfilling their cups with ale, sitting in the corners of the congregation and puffing thoughtfully at their pipes, and others... were getting into trouble. This was Bilbo's one hundred and eleventh birthday.

Gandalf let another fire work off to the amusement of the little hobbit children, magic butterflies fluttered around their heads until their flames faded into the darkness. He was so busy watching the children he didn't see the two shadows slip behind him.

Merry and Pippin crept forward, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Merry took a bite of an apple as Pippin jumped up into Gandalf's wooden cart full of fireworks. He put his hands around a bluish round one, pulling it up to show Merry.

"No...No...The big one" Merry whispered.

Pippin dropped the firework and then something caught his eye... A fire work that took the shape of a red dragon, it was Massive, it also at the same time reminded him somewhat of Halei who he had left in the orchard, he would go see if she actually stayed there tomorrow, her appearance still a mystery to him. He was curious. He wrapped his hands around the red firework and again showed Merry who only gave a mischievous laugh as he helped Pippin down with his load.

They crept back past Gandalf who was still looking after the young children, into a tent. The Pippin then lightly balanced the firework on the ground as Merry bent down and lit the fuse.

"There done." Merry confirmed, looking happy about himself. He then looked at the firework and his smile plummeted from his face. "You're supposed to stick it in the ground."

Pippin smiled then the meaning of the statement dawned on him, it wasn't in the ground something that he's cousin should have. "It is in the ground." Pippin shouted as he pushed the firework towards Merry.

"No it's not" Merry pushed back.

"It was your idea" Pippin said and was about to push the time bomb back at his cousin just as it exploded, lifting the two fighting hobbits off their feet and throwing them apart. They both landed on the ground parallel to each other, soot stained their faces, yet they cared not. The two hobbits watched as the trail of sparks ensuing forth from the tent flew into the sky gaining the attention of many around them.

It exploded into a ball of flames before it sprouted wings, the red sparkling flames morphed into the elongated shape of a dragon. The dragon spread it fiery wings and dived on the crowd of now frantic hobbits, who were running and tripping over tables. The Hobbits ducked as the flaming beast roared over them spieling off into the distance, then to the amusement and relief of the hobbits it exploded in many diverse sparking colours across the dusk horizon illuminating the entirety of Hobbiton in the strange ethereal light.

"Wow!" Pippin said still shocked.

"That was great."

"Let's get another."

Before the two Hobbits could even stand a pair of large hand grabbed them both by the ears. "Meriadoc Brandybuck and Perigen Took... I might have known." The deep rumble of Gandalf's voice scolded.

"Well we did say we would get you back... huh greybeard." Pippin taunted, obviously annoying the wizard further for his grip on their ears tightened.

* * *

**Oh my... longest chapter so far. And it also takes my word count to 10 000 plus Yay. ok, enough of that... PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL OF LORD OF THE RINGS. please criticize, only a very few people are... like one or two... thanks Chris by the way... your private reviews are really helpful as well, and the detail dont get me started. **

**Ok another thing... I have a poll on my profile page that requires ALL readers attention if they wish to have a say in the way the story will play out... It is to do with the pairings of the story.**

**As usual please help make this story better by criticising, is it good, is it bad, does it even make sense... and why...**

**Thank you to all.**


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